Newbie Question #1: Frame Rates / Slow Motion / Final Cut

[telebay]

Forgive me for asking what are probably a series of questions with obvious answers (for pros, like yourselves). I admit to being a RANK amatuer! I've thus far had very little experience with even DV. I've done a little editing in iMovie, without much problem. However, I want to really learn this craft/art... and I want to start with HD/HDV. I'm not as interested in starting out with DV and working my way up -- which might actually be the most reasonable avenue, but I'd rather start out ahead (at least with good equipment, like the HVX). I've read a few books on the subject, such as HDV Filmmaking (and yes, Final Cut Pro for Dummies) and am currently reading through more. But, without hands-on practice, a lot of what I read goes over my head.

Therefore, I've purchased Final Cut Studio and will be buying an HVX soon. Here's my first question... thanks in advance for putting up with me and such a basic question:

* I don't get frame rates. For instance, you may shoot at 24 fps and edit it on FCP and it is "actual" speed. You can shoot at 60 fps and what you see in the output is also regular speed (no slow motion, in other words). BUT, I am told if I am shooting at 24 fps and shoot another scene at 60, I somehow end up with a slow motion effect (because the 60 is played out over the slower 24 frame duration -- for lack of a better understanding). Why wouldn't my FCP just understand this as a film shot in 60 fps? Is the whole project set-up at 24, so when you introduce something different it plays it the same? If so, what if you had a second camera that shoots 60 fps (but don't want it to be slow motion)? Also, why not just change the speed of the clip (reduce by 20% for example) in FCP if you wanted slow motion?

 

[Anders Holck]

Whe you setup the HVX to shoot in 720p or 720pn, there are two settings that influence the speed of the capture. First you select the base speed, which is the speed you percieve as normal and is the speed you'd want to edit at. Next you can set the framerate you want the camera to run at.
If you select 720/24 as the base speed, and 60 as the framerate you'll get a slow slowmotion.
If you select 720/60 as the basespeed and 24 as the framerate youll get a seep up clip.
If you select a basespeed and choose 'native' as the framerate, the camera will match the base speed any you'll get normal motion.

Also, why not just change the speed of the clip (reduce by 20% for example) in FCP if you wanted slow motion?

Because doing it in post will not be as fluid, especially when you get below 75%.

Why wouldn't my FCP just understand this as a film shot in 60 fps? Is the whole project set-up at 24, so when you introduce something different it plays it the same?

If you set up the camera to shoot 720/60 FCP will get it.

When you start to edit you choose the base speed when you create a new sequence, not when you create the project.

Ps. The HVX is not a HDV camera.

 

[telebay]

Thanks much. That helps a lot. That unlocks a bunch of questions for me.

So, to clarify, in order to record "normally", you would set up the base speed as 720/24 with the frame rate also set as 24?

When you edit the footage in FCP, would you need to set a base and then also a framerate, or just the base? I think you were saying just the base, correct?

PS: HDV has been so crammed into my brain by all the stuff I've read that sometimes it just comes out even when I'm talking about the HVX... I'll try to watch that!